Even in tragedy, God works in mysterious ways

When life is fair, there will be more people in the world like Robbie Parker, the father of one of the little children massacred by another human being.

In his time of almost unimaginable grief, he offered his condolences to the family of the gunman who had just taken his little girl from him forever by saying “I want you to know that our love and support go out to you as well”.

Immediately upon hearing of this tragedy, my thoughts turned to God and what kind of God would allow this to happen. After 16 years of religious education and a lifetime of follow-up, I have been taught that all things are the work of God. The statements that God works in mysterious ways, God made you in his image and likeness, we are all God’s children came to mind.

How could God allow 26 of his children, most of the victims literally children, to be mercilessly gunned down, some shot multiple times to assure they were dead?

If this is the way God treats his children I want no part of it, if he wants to teach a lesson concerning evil on the earth he should have directed this person to blast his way into the depths of some of our prisons and open fire, not have a deranged human being mow down little children.

There is no moral lesson to be learned here, if this all knowing and all merciful God does exist perhaps he should stop working in mysterious ways and be open about his intentions, I doubt he gives a hoot about gun-control or he wouldn’t have allowed them to be invented, I suspect that is for us to figure out. Moreover if it were a lesson, I would prefer God stop using little children of his image and likeness as lesson tools for I cannot get beyond the horror that scene must have presented to the parents of these murdered children.

Christmas, the time we are supposed to honor the birth of God’s son, will to the thousands of people affected by this senseless massacre, forever be a time of great sadness, no joy to be had, presents forever to remain wrapped.

The only lesson to be learned from all of this comes from Robbie Parker plus the children’s heroic teachers and it is, that there are still good and decent people on this earth, just not enough of them.

In the meantime, since this is my last regularly written column for the newspaper, please do not send me suggestions on books to read about the existence of God, he and I need to work that out alone.